Method of producing building materials from recycled items

ABSTRACT

Various building materials constructed from different recycled components are provided. Such materials include boards, bricks, and the like, and exhibit differing levels of tensile strength, heat resistance, and other physical and chemical properties. The capability of introducing varied collected items, including paper, paperboard, clothing fibers, wood chips and strips, raffia bags, used engine oil, etc., and produce a resilient and dimensionally stable building material is presented herein. Replacement of timber and concrete is permitted with such a new material based upon renewable resources. The method of production and use of such materials is encompassed herein as well.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of and claims priority to co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/891,942, filed on May 10, 2013. Thespecification of this parent application is herein incorporated in itsentirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to various building materialsconstructed from different recycled components. Such materials includeboards, bricks, and the like, and exhibit differing levels of tensilestrength, heat resistance, and other physical and chemical properties.The capability of introducing varied collected items, including paper,paperboard, clothing fibers, wood chips and strips, raffia bags, usedengine oil, etc., and produce a resilient and dimensionally stablebuilding material is presented herein. Replacement of timber andconcrete is permitted with such a new material based upon renewableresources. The method of production and use of such materials isencompassed herein as well.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART

Recycling has become a mainstay of the world as certain resources havebeen depleted or the costs associated with harvesting and/or utilizationthereof continue to rise. Such a process, however, has proven to betaxing on its own as the costs of collection, transportation,separation, and, ultimately, reintroduction into the stream of commercehave also risen, in some situation even outpacing the benefits of arecycling regimen itself. The potential for a cost-effective recyclingprocedure with diverse renewable products incorporated into singlelong-term use materials has not, unfortunately, come to fruition inorder to not only aid in providing cleaner environments, but also toprovide a more efficient method of recycling and producing post-usegoods.

Many products have been developed that are either presented in certainform or packaged in a certain manner so as to provide a material thatmay be used for an amount of time then discarded. For instance, engineoil is generally introduced within a vehicle until its usefulness as alubricant for pistons therein has run its course. At such a time, then,the used engine oil is typically collected and either incinerated (thusintroducing certain undesirable exhaust into the environment) or storedwithin a landfill or like location for an indefinite period of time.Such oil-based products, however, harbor a potentially harmfulenvironmental result if it spills or leaches into certain land areas,particularly those including a water shed or like natural impediment.Furthermore, polymeric products (which are, for the most part, petroleumbyproducts as well) create further problems in that such materials donot readily degrade over time and/or present suspect pollution potentialif degradation actually occurs, particularly near water sources. As iswell documented, for instance, there exists a garbage mass in thePacific Ocean full of varied types of plastic materials and of differingsizes thereof that is, currently, estimated to be the size of Texas. Thelack of degradation potential leaves such a mass at the mercy of theocean, possibly creating minute pieces of polymeric particles that canbe ingested by the fish population, thus wreaking havoc on the digestivesystems of such animals, but also threatening the food chain. Raffiabags (sturdy bags that include polypropylene fibers and that are used totransport and store various solid chemicals, as an example) have provenrather difficult to utilize after as few as a single transport action;such “supersacks” (as they are also known) are susceptible to tearingduring rough actions during use. Remedying such issues have proven moretroublesome and potentially more expensive than having brand new bagsproduced and purchased for such purposes. Thus, these types of articleshave proven difficult to dispose of properly and thus have alsocontributed highly to such problems. Millions of such bags of generallyprovided and used once before discarding. As with most polymericproducts, these are also difficult to degrade and take up a great dealof space in landfills and the like.

Paper products, a list of which could last for pages, also contributesignificantly to landfills and other like places. Additionally, however,many coated paperboard products are not typically recycled due to thepresence of wax coatings on the surface, thus creating an obstacle tothe overall process. Even without a wax coating, however, suchpaperboard products (including cardboard, pizza delivery boxes, movingboxes, etc.) are rather difficult to transport to recycling centers, letalone actually incorporate into recycling processes. The costs toproperly break down such products and then reconstitute the same intoviable new goods are very high, as well.

Wood products are also of the type that are rarely recycled,particularly since there is a strong timber industry and new woodresources are not in danger. However, the introduction of rather largewood products (furniture, chip board, oriented strand board, etc.) intolandfills is rather significant. As a base organic material, suchwooden-based goods may degrade over time, certainly, but the sheer sizeof such items contributes greatly to landfill space and, for lack of abetter word, ultimately goes to waste, rather than for a post-consumermarket. The ability to utilize components of such large materials withina recycling system of any sort has been limited to, for instance,sculpture or like artistic endeavors utilizing discarded wooden parts.Otherwise, there is lacking a definitive end use beyond the life of, forinstance, a furniture piece or like article. Furthermore, certainupholstery and/or clothing includes fibers and fabrics that may beutilized, at least in theory, for other purposes, particularly suchfabrics that are attached to discarded furniture. In any event, suchmaterials are also typically not recycled once their usefulness as agarment, cover, curtain, etc., has ended. Landfills, and other likelocations, thus exhibit rather significant amounts of natural fibers,such as cotton, jute, etc., as well as synthetic types, such as nylon,polyester, etc., yarns and fibers (not to mention, again, fabrics of allsuch fibers, both as single fiber types and blends thereof) fromdiscarded articles, too. The potential for utilization of discardedwood-based materials and/or fabrics within recycling procedures has notbeen undertaken, particularly in relation with other types of materialsfor post-consumer production schemes.

As such, it is evident that the importance of recycling efforts, evenwith items that are not typically or traditionally associated with suchprocesses and systems, to alleviate large amounts of landfillquantities, for the purpose of providing cost-effective materials of anysort, has yet to be provided.

Advantages and Description of the Invention

A distinct advantage of the inventive methods and materials is thecapability of combining various refuse items into structurally soundarticles that can be utilized in a variety of uses. Another distinctadvantage is the utilization of potentially environmentally harmfulitems within new solid articles that would not allow any appreciablemigration or loss of harmful chemicals and the like subsequent toarticle formation. Yet another advantage of this inventive method is thesimple manner of collecting and combining such recyclable materials andthe introduction thereof within a suitable mold for article production.Still another advantage of this inventive system is the ability tomodify the physical characteristics of such materials while stillutilizing the same basic recyclable materials for such a purpose. Andyet another advantage of this inventive system and materials is theability to manufacture any shaped block (or other article) to provide astructurally sound portion of an edifice or other end use.

Accordingly, the invention encompasses a solid load-bearing articleprovided in a three-dimensional geometric shape, said article includingat least some content of each of the following recyclable materials:paper, paperboard, clothing fibers, wood chips, wood strips,polypropylene fibers, and used engine and/or cooking oil; wherein saidarticle further includes other components including perlite, pozzolan,calcium hydroxide, and Portland Cement. Furthermore, the invention alsoencompasses the method of producing such an article including the stepsof: 1) producing an initial fiber/paper-based component comprising thesteps of a) providing shredded fiber, paper, and paperboard materials,b) mixing said materials to generate a pulp formulation, and c) mixingthe pulp formulation with calcium hydroxide to form the fiberpaper-based component; 2) producing an initial hydrophobic wood-basedcomponent comprising the steps of a) providing ground wood stickmaterials exhibiting a size from ½ to 1 inch in length and b) coatingthe wood materials with used engine and/or cooking oil, therebyproducing the wood-based component; 3) producing a polymer-based fibercomponent comprising the steps of a) providing polypropylene raffiabags, and b) shredding the bags through a screen device to producepolypropylene fibers having an average length of from 1 to 3 inches,thereby providing the polymer-based fiber component; 4) mixing thepaper-based component, wood-based component, and polymer-based fibercomponent together with a component selected from perlite, pozzolan,Portland Cement, and any combination thereof, with water within a deviceto provide a substantially homogeneous liquefied composition; 5)introducing the liquefied composition within a three-dimensional moldfor at least 12 hours; 6) curing the board within the mold at atemperature of at least 200° C. for at least 30 minutes; and 7) allowingthe resultant cured board to cool to room temperature. A building orother like edifice including at least one of such inventive blockmaterials is encompassed within this invention as well. Additionally, ifdesired, the resultant block materials may be coated with hydrophobicpolymers (such as liquids or films) that impart a moisture blockingproperty thereto.

The inventive board, block, or other type of structural component madein this manner exhibits excellent strength, resiliency, hydrophobicity,and other desired properties for such a structural purpose. After curingand cooling, the resultant article is surprisingly resilient,particularly as it includes a large amount of the aforementionedrecyclable materials rather than, for instance, homogenous brick, stone,or other like components, even to the degree that a user may utilize asaw or other implement to provide any desired size or shape through aclean cut. Typically, with certain materials made from fibers andparticulate matter (for example, gypsum board), such materials may becut, but, unfortunately, the potential for a nonuniform cut isprevalent, not to mention the capacity for undesirable introduction ofparticulate matter into the surrounding environment. As it is, theinventive articles provide a low-cost alternative to standard buildingmaterials, all while simultaneously preventing introduction of wastematerials into the environment.

Of further interest and surprise was the capability of such inventivearticles to provide conduction and heat exchange resistance, as well aslow levels of flammability (i.e., high fire retardancy). Thus, as aninsulating product, such materials, dependent, at least to a certaindegree, upon the widths thereof, provide further benefits as an interioror exterior building component. Additionally, though, such inventivematerials allow for suitable nail and screw introduction without anyreduction in structural strength, thus permitting not only effectiveconnection with other materials, but also the reliable to permit a userto hang or display objects from such materials if utilized in such amanner. With a smooth hydrophobic surface, as well, adhesives (such astypical building material glues and the like) may be utilized to conjoinsuch materials together or to other surfaces, thus permitting a varietyof methods of attachment in reliable fashion. Likewise, with suchsurface properties, a user may easily coat or paint the inventivearticles as desired with great reliability in sustenance of such appliedcolors.

The facilitation of production and cutting, combined with the ease withwhich attachment with adjacent boards, blocks, etc., further allows auser the capability to repair such articles as needed. If a portion ofan inventive article becomes damaged in some manner, the user can easilyremove the affected portion and insert a similarly shaped replacement.Thus, repairs with other materials utilizing the same recyclablestarting materials is possible. The molding process itself is ratherstraightforward; with the inclusion and introduction of a homogeneousmixture of the three primary components (as noted above and detailedbelow) in liquefied form (i.e., having a viscosity at standardtemperature and pressure of at most 30,000 pascals, as one possibleresult) permits easy manufacture through the utilization of any moldshape as needed for either a specific replacement article or any shapedstarting material on demand.

Importantly, as well, is with the utilization of such materials,particularly with oil-coated wood components, and integrated fiber/paperproducts, the surface of the resultant boards, sheets, etc., theresultant articles are not readily susceptible to fungal, insect, orrodent infestation. The hydrophobic qualities imparted to the inventivearticles reduce the propensity for any fungal growth as the surface willprimarily include a cement-like exterior that does not typically providea proper attachment point for fungal organisms, nor a nutrient sourcethat would compound the difficulties therewith. As well, without anydirect entry for rodent or insect movement, let alone any noticeableexternal exposure of wood and/or paper components present therein, thecement surface thus further prevents any availability of such potentialattractive sources for pests to feed or otherwise attack. The furtherand aforementioned hydrophobic nature of the inventive article surfaceprevents water penetration that could compromise the structuralintegrity of the inventive materials as well. In combination, then,surprisingly, the inventive manufacturing method imparts multiple levelsof protection and performance capability for such articles that makesthe utilization of recyclable and typically undesirable and potentiallyenvironmentally harmful materials worthwhile. Additionally, themanufacturer may accord any degree of density to the inventive materialsbased upon proper selection of different amounts of each of the threeprimary components. As such, not only may the overall weight of theinventive articles be dialed to any desired level (without any loss inhydrophobicity, insect and rodent control, etc.) during themanufacturing process, but the manufacturer may also dictate a desiredsound insulation characteristic for each produced article, not tomention the capability to produce articles that exhibit differentbuoyancy levels, further expanding the potential usefulness of theinventive process, certainly, but also the different potential end usesfor such inventive articles, too.

The three primary components, as noted above, include different types ofrecyclable materials. One group (although it may be described as the“first” or “initial,” in actuality such a group may be generated inrelation to the overall production scheme at any time prior toincorporation within the mixture to be introduced within the mold)includes clothing fiber, paper, and paperboard products. Although suchmaterials may be provided as new materials (i.e., manufactured strictlyfor inclusion within the inventive method and thus articles describedherein), for purposes of providing an effective “green” technology, suchmaterials are preferably those that are reclaimed or presented as usedmaterials and thus utilized in a manner that provides an alternative tolandfill placement, destruction (such as burning, etc.), or other actionthat allows for environmental introduction rather than controlledutilization. Thus, any source of clothing fibers (which may actuallyinclude any type of natural fibers from any source, including cotton,rayon, silk, jute, and the like, from clothing, sacks, tablecloths,curtains, sails, etc.), paper or paperboard, including, withoutlimitation, newspapers, cardboard boxes, typing or printing paper, milkcartons, pizza boxes, paper towels, basically anything that utilizescellulose-based pulp products (i.e., again, paper, cardboard,paperboard, and the like), may serve as a base constituent of such afirst group of recyclable materials. Any amount of such materials may becombined together with water and calcium hydroxide (i.e., lime) to forma pulp mixture. For this purpose, the amount of fiber/paper/paperboardproducts should be from 10-50% of the amount of the water utilized andthe calcium hydroxide may be introduced in an amount of 1-10% by weightof the entire fiber/paper/paperboard component and water formulation.Preferably the fiber/paper/paperboard component is present in an amountof from 25-35% of the water, most preferably about 30-35% by weight. Thecalcium hydroxide is added in an amount preferably about 2-8% of thewater/fiber/paper/paperboard amount, most preferably from about 3-6% byweight. Prior to admixing with the water and calcium hydroxide, thefiber/paper/paperboard constituent is first shredded (such as with ashredding device) such that the resultant materials are roughly circularin shape with an average diameter of from 0.5 to 2.0 inches. The calciumhydroxide component is preferably a particulate composition exhibiting ahigh degree of admixing capability, thus having a sufficiently smallsize (from 10 to 50 microns, for instance, on average), and a certaindegree of hydration to effectuate the desired level of incorporationwithin the aqueous pulp formulation with the fiber/paper/paperboardconstituents. Such a particulate thus effectively coats the paperconstituents and allows for an emulsion-like pulp to form allowing forsubsequent transfer and introduction with the other two primarycomponents. The resultant combination of water, calcium hydroxide, andsufficiently shredded fiber/paper/paperboard is then introduced togetherwithin a large mixer (of any type, particularly of industrial size), toundertake the necessary pulp formation. The mixer speed may be set toany level that allows for such formation to occur, although, forefficiency purposes, such a speed is preferably relatively high. Theresultant pulp should appear substantially homogeneous (althoughdiffering colorations in discrete regions thereof may be present inrelation to the different paper colors that may be present) and shouldalso exhibit a suitable viscosity to allow for further processing, asnoted above.

The second component (again, used here solely to denote differentcomponents, not as a required process step through such a designation)includes wood constituents, including timber wood (of any type treesource, including pine, oak, poplar, ash, and the like, withoutlimitation) that, as for the paper/paperboard component, may be suppliedfor this purpose or is reclaimed from a previous use (i.e., recycled orrecyclable, as such a term is used interchangeable herein for all thedifferent components). Such a wood constituent may thus be provided asthe remnants of a building project (such as extra pieces that have beencut from larger ones and not utilized for a specific purpose, and maynot be suitable for any other building project as a result), or from thedestruction of another edifice of some type, or any other situation inwhich remnants or removed wood materials are present, as well as fromdiscarded pieces of furniture, and the like. Such timber wood may thusbe in board form, plywood form, oriented strand board form, plank form,or removed from furniture pieces (such as tables, chairs, dressers,beds, and the like), including laminated or non-laminated types. Suchwood-based articles may take up a large amount of landfill space or mayultimately be incinerated to provide an effective manner of disposal. Assuch, the capability of utilizing such materials in a recyclable manneris not only quite useful, but, considering that there are scant fewrecycled items including such timber wood materials (as describedabove), such a manner of use is highly surprising. In terms of thissecond component, then, the wood constituents are first collected andground into small chips and/or strips in order to allow for effectiveadmixing with the other two components. Such a grinding step thusrequires a suitable device to take any size and shape wood item andreducing it to very small strips exhibiting an average length of fromabout 0.5 to 1 inch (and thus a very thin width of 3/16 to ⅛ inch, onaverage).

The other constituent of this second primary component is reclaimed andused oil, such as engine oil or cooking oil. This oil constituent is anytype that would be considered either a petroleum byproduct for propervehicle lubrication (such as within an engine to allow for effectivepiston repetition) or a similarly saturated hydrocarbon that has beenutilized in vat fryers, and the like, in restaurants. In either case,such oil types are typically collected once removed from vehicles orfryers and require disposal of some sort. As above, environmentalintroduction is not only undesirable, but is considered illegal in mostjurisdictions and many countries. The environmental impact on surfaceand underground water through motor oil contamination has become asignificant problem that requires compliance in terms of effectivedisposal, leaving very few ways of ultimate handling in that respect.Incineration has been utilized, although the introduction of pollutantswithin the air from such hydrocarbons is undesirable for the samereasons as for straightforward landfill or water introduction. With usedcooking oil, pouring into the sewer system can result in very damagingclogging either within the restaurant location (even within the plumbingsystem of a person's home) or within the nearby system for a number ofdifferent places. Incineration is also frowned upon as, again,hydrocarbons produce noxious fumes and results that pollute the air.Additionally, with any such oil constituent, the actual temperaturerequired for such an incineration step is very high, thus effectivelyrequiring more energy for such an action than would make such anactivity beneficial; such inefficiencies thus leave little room fordisposal other than finding a suitable recyclable purpose. As such,other than reconstituting such motor oil (which has been done, but atgreat cost, and with few consumers seeking such products as a result) orcleaning and reusing used cooking oil (which, again, comes at great costand, after time and repeated usage, such oil is highly susceptible todegradation and fouling, thus leaving further use highly suspect), thereare very few recycling actions available.

In this instance, however, it was found that utilizing such used oilconstituents provides an effective means to treat the wood constituentsprior to mixing with the other components and imparting a hydrophobiccoating to the treated wood constituents as a result. Thishydrophobicity step allows for the wood constituents to remain the samebasic size during mixing with the other components (typically, suchcellulosic components would effectively take up water, particularly whenin a ground state, thereby absorbing water to an undesirable levelduring manufacture), as well as impart an effective hydrophobiccharacteristic to the overall finished structure. Such a level, however,does not mean that the overall final article structure does not take inwater (most building materials do, of course), but that the overallstructure may easily dry out after any appreciable moisture exposure hasoccurred.

As it is, the oil constituent is thus applied to the surface of theground wood constituent in any suitable manner, including spraying,immersion, spreading, and the like (spraying is potentially preferred,due to control and efficiencies reasons), such that the entirety of thewood constituents is properly coated with the oil constituent prior tomixing with the other primary components and introduction within thearticle mold. The amount of oil applied should be sufficient forcomplete coating of the wood constituents with a minimum thickness ofabout 0.01 to about 0.1 mm. Any reclaimed oil of any grade motor oil(for automobiles, trucks, boat engines, lawnmower engines, bus engines,etc.) may be utilized; as well, any type of cooking oil (whether peanut,olive, rapeseed, sesame, etc., types) may be employed within thisinventive method for thus purpose.

The third primary component (again, third denotes nothing beyond amanner of differentiating the types of components, not as a requiredstep in terms of time) is a polymer fiber constituent, preferably sturdypolypropylene fibers. Raffia bags are those types that are typicallyutilized for the transport of large amounts of powdered, granular, orother like solid chemical materials. Such bags are very strong anddimensionally stable thereby providing the necessary rigidity to standand retain such heavy materials during storage, transport, and otheruses. Such bags are typically used only a few times (primarily once) dueto the susceptible to tearing, etc., and the costs associated withrepair as well as the lack of reliability upon an initial dimensionalstability deficiency of such type. Thus, many such bags are utilized buta single time and then discarded for landfill placement. Thesepolymer-based materials (again, primarily polypropylene in nature) aretypically woven structure of very strong fibers that may be properlyshredded to obtain individual fibers of certain short lengths. As such,the ability to incorporate such polymer-based items within a recyclablemanufacturing scheme is desirable, certainly. Finding a way to do so hasnot proven so easy, however. As such, surprisingly, the utilization ofthe raffia types for this purpose provides an effective manner ofremoving such one-use items from the environment.

This third component thus basically requires taking any amount ofreclaimed raffia bags and properly shredding them to suitable fibersizes for introduction within the three-component mixture prior tomolding. The shredding device may be the same as used for thepaper/paperboard constituents of the first component, as one example.Any typical shredding device of this nature may be utilized for such apurpose, however. The fibers are preferably from about 1 to 3 inches inlength (with, again, very low diameters) and provide great dimensionalstability to the finished construction block articles due to their fiberstrengths. These polymer-based fiber constituents thus provide strengthand stability in combination with the other recycled components whenintroduced in solid, shredded form.

At that point, all three components are then introduced within asuitable large mixer. Also added are perlite, Portland Cement, and/orpozzolan (pozzolan to a lesser extent, but still a possible additive),and, if desired, other additives (including, for instance, surfactants,adhesion promoters, water and fire retardants, and other types ofcompounds that impart properties to the individual components and/or theoverall finished structure). A large amount of water is also added toallow for a proper viscosity for mixing to commence without harming thedevice itself. The other components and additives are preferably addedin an amount of from about 1-10% of the entire three-component mixtureby weight (prior to further water addition). Once the initialthree-component/other additives mixture is provided, then the extrawater is introduced to allow for the proper viscosity levels. Generally,the water is added in an amount of from 10-30% by weight of thethree-component mixture. The mixer is then activated and the entiremixture is allowed to homogenize as best it can (again, colors andlarger chips/particulates/shredded paper/shredded plastic, etc., may bepresent in discrete areas of the mixed components) in order to allow fora generally uniform placement of the mixture through a mold such thatmost of the areas therein will include the same general amount of theconstituents introduced therein for curing.

Further components may be included within the formulation prior to moldintroduction, particularly other materials that may be removed from theenvironment and thus provide further recyclable characteristics to theoverall inventive articles. Thus, components such as polystyrene foam,polyurethane foam, and other like materials may be added in shreddedform to provide different benefits.

The mold may, as noted above, be of any shape and size as long as theintroduced three-component, etc., mixture fills the mold to the top andsuch may be covered. Thus, a standard solid sheet mold, brick mold,two-by-four mold, and the like, again, basically anything, includingcircular, triangular, spherical, etc., shapes (three-dimensional innature) may be utilized for such a purpose. A typical mold may be 10feet in length, 2 feet wide, and about 1.5 inches thick, to form astructurally sound board for construction purposes, as one non-limitingexample.

Of some importance is the need to provide a manner to aid in removingair from the mixture when present within the mold. Prior to curing,then, it may be useful to employ, as one example, a vibration procedureto properly drive air bubbles from the mixture to the surface and intothe atmosphere. This allows for a dense core to be produced without anytrapped air pockets, thereby allowing for greater uniform strength anddensity throughout the resultant structure, as well.

Subsequent to such a step, then, the mold is placed within a suitableheat source for curing. Any type of kiln, oven, autoclave, and the like,may be employed for such a purpose as long as the mold fits properlytherein and a generally even cure is provided over the entirety of themixture. A higher temperature (in excess of 200° C.) allows for a quickcure and thus a desirable smooth outer surface for the inventivearticles. The articles made in this manner are suitably light weight andeasy maneuvered to desired locations as a result. They are also verysturdy to take on relatively large loads, can be replaced entirely or inparts easily, and may be incorporated into any suitable buildingproject.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an elevated side view of one potentially preferred blockarticle produced in relation to the invention described herein.

FIG. 2 provides a side view of the same block as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the block article of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a representative edifice including aplurality of inventive blocks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THEINVENTION

The invention will now be further described with specific examples anddrawings that are not intended as limiting the breadth and scopethereof. These examples show the initial production of individualmixture components, as described above, followed by co-mixing with otheradditives and introduction within molds.

The production schemes are as follows:

Example 1 First Component Recyclable Items

Newspaper refuse

Paper Cartons

Cotton yarns and fibers

The recycled items were shredded to a level of an average diameter of 1inch (2.54 cm) through at most a 2 inch screen. 0.2 pounds of theshredded items were mixed with 10 ounces of calcium hydroxide and 20pounds of water. The resultant mixture was then thoroughly mixed to forma pulp formulation.

Second Component Recyclable Items (Wood)

Refuse construction pine boards

Refuse oriented strand boards (pine)

Refuse laminated bookcase structure

The recycled items were introduced within a chipping device to producesmall strands of from about ½ to 1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) in length (withcorrespondingly thin widths). 6 pounds of these materials werecollected.

Second Component Recyclable Items (Oil)

Refuse Motor Oil (10W30)

Refuse Cooking Oil (Corn-based)

The oil constituents were mixed together and introduced within asprayer. 3 pounds of the mixture were sprayed over the entirety of the 6pounds of the wood constituents to provide a complete coating over allindividuals strands.

Third Component Recyclable Items

1 pound of collected raffia bags were shredded to produce an averagesize of polypropylene-based fiber constituents of from 2-3 inches (5-7.5cm) in length (with correspondingly thin fiber diameters).

Further Additives—

40 pounds of Portland Cement and 2.5 pounds of perlite were introducedwithin the mixture of the First, Second and Third Components.

Mixture—

The First, Second, and Third Components, as well as the FurtherAdditives were then thoroughly mixed together in a sufficient largevessel. 15 pounds of water were then added to the resultant mixture andthe resultant formulation was then mixed further to effectuatehomogeneity of all of the Components and Additives and a viscositysufficient to allow transfer to the mold.

Mold Introduction—

The resultant homogeneous Mixture was then introduced into a mold ofdimensions 300 cm×60 cm×3 cm. A vibration device was applied to theexterior of the mold to constantly provide a manner of air bubblemovement upward to the surface (with the mold open). After 24 hours ofvibration application, the mold was covered and placed within anautoclave for curing at 200° C. for 1 hour. The mold was then removedand allowed to cool for 2 hours at which time the resultant block wasremoved from the mold and was in condition for utilization as astructural component within a building project.

Example 2 First Component Recyclable Items

Newspaper refuse

Cotton yarns and fibers

The recycled items were shredded to a level of an diameter of about 1inch (2.5 cm). 0.2 pounds of the shredded items were mixed with 10ounces of calcium hydroxide and 10 pounds of water. The resultantmixture was then thoroughly mixed to form a pulp formulation.

Second Component Recyclable Items (Wood)

Refuse construction pine boards

Refuse Oriented strand boards (pine)

Refuse laminated bookcase structure

The recycled items were introduced within a chipping device to producesmall strands of an average length of about 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) inlength (with correspondingly small widths). 5 pounds of these materialswere collected.

Second Component Recyclable Items (Oil)

Refuse Motor Oil (10W30)

Refuse Cooking Oil (Corn-based)

The oil constituents were mixed together and introduced within asprayer. 2 pounds of the mixture were sprayed over the entirety of the 5pounds of the wood constituents to provide a complete coating over allindividuals strands.

Third Component Recyclable Items

1 pound of collected raffia bags were shredded to produce an averagesize of polypropylene-based fiber constituents of from about 1 to 3inches (2.5-7.5 cm) in length (with correspondingly thin fiberdiameters).

Further Additives—

40 pounds of Portland Cement and 2 pounds of perlite were introducedwithin the mixture of the First, Second and Third Components.

Mixture—

The First, Second, and Third Components, as well as the FurtherAdditives were then thoroughly mixed together in a sufficient largevessel. 15 pounds of water were then added to the resultant mixture andthe resultant formulation was then mixed further to effectuatehomogeneity of all of the Components and Additives and a viscositysufficient to allow transfer to the mold.

Mold Introduction—

The resultant homogeneous Mixture was then introduced into a mold ofdimensions 300 cm×60 cm×3 cm. A vibration device was applied to theexterior of the mold to constantly provide a manner of air bubblemovement upward to the surface (with the mold open). After 24 hours ofvibration application, the mold was covered and placed within anautoclave for curing at 200° C. for 1 hour. The mold was then removedand allowed to cool for 2 hours at which time the resultant block wasremoved from the mold and was in condition for utilization as astructural component within a building project.

The resultant boards, such as shown in FIGS. 1,2, and 3 are sufficientlysolid to provide stability as a building material. The block 10 may beprovided in any geometric shape (here as a three-dimensional rectangle)and has a top side 12, bottom side (13 in FIG. 2), two lengthwise sides(one 14, the other not illustrated), and two widthwise sides 15, 16(FIG. 2). Internally, as in FIG. 3, the resultant structure includes athoroughly distributed core 18 of materials that exhibit excellentstrength and adhesion therein. The surface 20 is a substantially smoothcoating that imparts a suitable interface with other blocks or, ifdesired, other materials utilized in a construction environment (notillustrated). In this manner, the resultant block materials are suitablefor such construction operations. Further testing of other propertieswere then undertaken as well.

FIG. 4 thus shows an representation of a portion of a edifice 30including a plurality of such blocks 10 stacked one on top of another.The edifice 30 is of suitable strength to withstand any number ofnatural weather consequences, as well.

Physical Characteristics

The boards produced above were measured a number of properties. Thedensities were measured to be 1.1 gm/cm³ and 1.7 gm/cm³, respectively.Both exhibited negligible levels of electrical and heat conduction andwere easily sawed into separate pieces without any appreciable damage orunclean cut lines present. Both exhibited ease and reliability forscrews and nails introduced therein, as well. The Example 1 board wasbuoyant due to its density level, while the Example 2 board was not. Thesurfaces of both were substantially smooth and exhibited effectiveadhesion to glue and paint, too.

Additionally, the boards were also subjected to tests typical of cementstructures to test for cement-like characteristics for water uptake andflexural strength. ASTM Test Protocol C-293/293M was undertaken forflexural strength purposes. Example 1 allowed for a maximum applied loadof 30 pounds; Example 2 allowed for 67 pounds. The modulus rupture ofExample 1 was measured to be 116 psi and the Example 2 board exhibitedthe same rupture at 260 psi. Thus, the ability to provide a resilient,strong construction article through the recycled item method describedherein, with different structural results as desired, is thus possible.

The water uptake method was ASTM Test C642 and accorded the followingresults:

TABLE 1 Water Uptake (Dry Weight) Example # Wet Weight (gm) Dry Weight(gm) % Absorption 1 (1^(st) run) 267.2 174.12 64.94 1 (2^(nd) run)339.58 217.20 56.34 2 (1^(st) run) 265.83 173.30 64.93 2 (2^(nd) run)356.89 264.50 57.30

TABLE 2 Water Uptake (additional 5 hr boil) Example # Wet Weight (gm)Dry Weight (gm) % Absorption 1 (1^(st) run) 306.97 174.12 76.30 1(2^(nd) run) 365.94 217.20 68.48 2 (1^(st) run) 306.93 173.30 77.11 2(2^(nd) run) 386.44 264.50 70.32

Thus, in comparison with standard cement formulations, which aretypically stronger and exhibit far less water uptake, these recycleditem articles provide not only strong, but excellent weatherproofproducts for construction and cement-like uses and purposes.

Overall, then, these inventive products provide a very effective mannerof reducing undesirable waste, particularly certain types thatcontribute to deleterious environmental impact, and incorporating thesame into useful items that can last an indefinite period of timewithout releasing harmful chemicals and the like.

It should be understood that various modifications within the scope ofthis invention can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. It is therefore wished that thisinvention be defined by the scope of the appended claims as broadly asthe prior art will permit, and in view of the specification if need be.

What I claim is:
 1. A method of producing solid load-bearing articleprovided in a three-dimensional geometric shape including the stepsof: 1) producing an initial fiber/paper-based component comprising thesteps of a) providing materials consisting essentially of shreddedfiber, shredded paper, shredded paperboard materials, and anycombination thereof; b) mixing said materials to generate a pulpformulation, and c) mixing the pulp formulation with calcium hydroxideto form the fiber/paper-based component; 2) producing an initialhydrophobic wood-based component comprising the steps of a) providingground wood materials exhibiting a size from about 0.5 to 1 inch inlength and b) coating said wood materials with used engine and/orcooking oil, thereby producing the wood-based component; 3) producing apolymer-based fiber component comprising the steps of a) providingraffia polypropylene bags, and b) shredding the bags through a screendevice to produce an average length of from 1 to 3 inches, therebyproviding the polymer-based fiber component; 4) mixing said paper-basedcomponent, wood-based component, and polymer-based component togetherwith pozzolan, Portland Cement, and water within a device to provide asubstantially homogeneous liquefied composition; 5) introducing saidliquefied composition within a mold for at least 12 hours; 6) removingthe resultant board from the mold and curing said board at a temperatureof at least 200° C.; and 7) allowing said resultant cured board to coolto room temperature.
 2. A building or other like edifice including atleast one of the articles manufactured by the method of claim 1.